My Bookish Top 20 Releasing in 2019 (July - December)

So far this year has been a great one for discovering some new poetry, non-fiction, and memorable novels by Australian debut authors. I'm still working on getting through the books listed in my first release countdown covering January-June, but there's no denying that 2019 still has a whole heap more promising reads in store! Read on for some of my top picks...

July

I'm always up for a mind-bending short story collection, and Episodes by Christopher Priest looks to deliver exactly that. A Constant Hum is also a collection of stories, focusing on the aftermath of bushfires and those affected. Other fiction highlights I want to try include YA contemporary The Astrid Notes, and Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth which has been re-released as a movie tie-in. See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill has been described by Helen Garner as "A shattering book: clear-headed and meticulous, driving always at the truth" - and with an endorsement like that you can't miss it. The biggest surprise here though is seeing that John Marsden (author of the YA dystopian 'Tomorrow' series) is coming out with a non-fiction release - The Art of Growing Up , which goes over his experiences and advice on writing, education and how we can find happiness in today's world.

August

Books-about-books are always something I'll put to the top of the list, so Storytime by Jane Sullivan definitely caught my eye. For fans of suspense, JP Delaney brought out quite the impressive and twisted thriller with The Girl Before, and The Perfect Wife promises even more surprises.

September

Malcolm Gladwell has already established himself as a prolific writer with many works on how to achieve personal and career-driven success such as Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. I'm definitely keen on reading more about sociology, and Talking to Strangers has a really interesting premise which asks questions like "How do we make sense of the unfamiliar? Why are we so bad at judging someone, reading a face, or detecting a lie? Why do we so often fail to 'get' other people?" I've loved all of Alain de Botton's books I've read so far, so it's definitely time to start tucking in to the 'School of Life' series, with this one on An Emotional Education. Not to be out-done by these non-fiction heavyweights, Margaret Atwood is finally coming out with a sequel to The Handmaids Tale - and after a successful run so far with the TV adaptation, here's hoping that The Testaments lives up to the hype! Historical fiction is also a favourite genre of mine, and The Dutch House by Ann Patchett has already received some glowing praise. 

October

I remember doing a big essay on the French Revolution back in high school which I really enjoyed researching, so a novel like Ribbons of Scarlet which covers that period of time is intriguing (plus it took six authors to write!). Leigh Bardugo is known for her YA fantasy, but this time she's geared her writing for an adult audience with Ninth House. Jojo Moyes writes books that sure do know how to tug at the heartstrings, and The Giver of Stars could be her best yet.

November

Speaking of historical fiction, here's two more...Delayed Rays of a Star is a fictional account of three prominent female figures in the lead-up to WWII - Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Leni Riefenstahl. What I can already tell may be the title that has the biggest impact for me this year will be the ninth and final book in the Matilda Saga by Jackie French, Clancy of the Overflow. It's sad to see my favourite series come to a close, and is certainly the end of an era! 

December

Sara Shepard gained popularity when 'Pretty Little Liars' was brought to the small screen, but she's been writing plenty since then and is set to turn heads with another YA mystery called Reputation. Young women taking their own spin on 'polite society' in the Victorian era has potential to make for a quick-witted plot in Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen. Finally, Colleen Hoover hasn't quite been able to impress me just yet with something I loved as much as her 'Slammed' series, but Regretting You might be able to change things up - we'll see!

Over to you - what books are you most looking forward to in 2019?